Page 117 of The Glittering Edge

Penny starts. “Aidan! I didn’t know you work here.”

“Yeah, for the summer,” Aidan says, adjusting his square-framed glasses. “My dad is a manager over in the plant, so he got me in.”

This is a completely different Aidan from the one Penny is used to. He’s dressed in a button-down under a V-neck sweater, and his blond curls are tame. He still wears at least seven earrings, and they’re all tiny and gleaming. He looks like a model.

“I heard what happened,” Aidan says. “You okay?”

Penny tries to smile. “Yeah. Fine. And Alonso—” She gasps. “Wait, does Alonso know you work here?”

“Oh yeah. He gets it. I mean, how else can we make money around here? He gets paid almost nothing at the record store.” Aidan leans forward conspiratorially. “And it’s worth it for the food. The café isbeyond. They grow all their own vegetables and everything. This place is, like, a bastion of sustainability in our stupid state.”

“Besides the fact that they make air conditioners?”

“The eco-garden and solar panels probably make up for that,” Aidan says. “Anyway, what’s up? Are you trying to intern here?”

“Actually, I’m here because I’m writing a piece on… on how the company has overcome so many challenges.”

Aidan’s eyes go wide. “Oh yeah. There are so many stories, right?”

Penny raises an eyebrow. “Are there?”

“Didn’t you hear about that lawsuit a few years ago? I guess the founder—this was Charles Barrion’s dad—he actually started the company with a partner, but the Barrions forced him out in some dramatic takeover. The co-founder’s great-great-whatever-grandkid sued the company, but right as the case was about to go to trial, the guy won the lottery.”

The unease returns full force. “The lottery?”

“Yeah. They ended up settling outside of court, and the grandkid went on his merry way.” Aidan shakes his head. “The Barrions get a lot of lucky breaks, but that’s privilege for you.”

“Right,” Penny says, but something about that story doesn’t sit right. A month ago, Penny would’ve agreed with Aidan, but that was before she knew magic had played a part in all the deaths in Corey’s family—and possibly in the company’s success.

“So who are you here to talk to?” Aidan says.

Right. Penny has to keep her eyes on the prize. “Oh, I’m here for an interview—”

Someone interrupts her, his voice low and smooth.

“She’s here for an interview with me.”

Aidan stands up, clearing his throat. His pale face goes tomato red. “Good afternoon, Mr. Barrion.”

Penny’s breath catches. She turns around.

Corey’s grandfather stands a few feet away, a serene smile on his face. He’s holding a cane, but he’s not leaning on it. Maybe it’s decorative. It does lend him a certain air, like he’s an oil baron from 1895.

Penny clears her throat. “Hello, sir. I’m Penny—”

“Penny Emberly,” he says. “I saw the entry on our security log. So glad to finally meet you in person.”

“You know who I am?”

“Of course.” Mr. Barrion smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Why don’t we chat in the cafeteria?”

Penny forces herself to smile back, but she’s grasping for an excuse to leave. Corey’s grandfather has to know that she made the interview up. So why is he playing along with her lie? He has no reason to help her.

Unless he knows the curse is affecting her life, too. Maybe he feels bad.

Penny might be looking at this the wrong way. If anyone knows the history of this company, it’s Mr. Barrion. Penny can’t be direct with her questions, but she’ll be able to learnsomething, right?

Penny swallows. “Aidan was saying the food in the cafeteria is really good.”

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